title: Fetal endothelium dysfunction is associated with circulating maternal levels of sE-selectin, sVCAM1, and sFlt-1 during pre-eclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between endothelial activation markers in the maternal circulation with nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in human umbilical endothelial cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a case-control study of normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancies. The levels of sE-selectin, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1), and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and histamine-induced NO synthesis was detected by fluorometric examination of the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) isolated from normal and pathological pregnancies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mothers with severe pre-eclamptic pregnancies have premature and smaller babies than mothers with normal pregnancies (P < 0.05); they also have high maternal plasma levels of sVCAM-1 (∼2-fold), sFlt-1 (∼2.5-fold), and lower (∼70%) histamine-stimulated NO synthesis in HUVECs. A positive relationship between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and plasma levels of sE-selectin, sVCAM-1, and sFlt-1 was demonstrated. Moreover, levels of sE-selectin, sVCAM-1, and sFlt-1 were negatively associated with newborn weight (NBW), gestational age at delivery, and NO synthesis. Women with high E-selectin (>63 ng/ml), VCAM-1 (>752 ng/ml), and sFlt-1 (>15204 pg/ml) showed high risk (∼2-fold) for preterm delivery and very preterm delivery, or fetal weight <1500 g (∼1.5-fold) compared with women with low levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High circulating levels of maternal endothelial dysfunction markers present in pre-eclampsia are associated with decreased NO synthesis in fetal endothelium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Concepción, P.O. Box 237, Concepción, Chile.
authors.forename: Carlos J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Veas
authors.forename: Valeria C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Aguilera
authors.forename: Isabel J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Victoria I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Gallardo
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Miguel
authors.forename: Marcelo A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Liliana I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Lamperti
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Escudero
authors.forename: Claudio R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Aguayo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D001794:Blood Pressure; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood*; D004727:Endothelium / Q000196:embryology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000097:blood; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D019040:E-Selectin; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C501162:FLT1 protein, human; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1